Fear of Jehovah is a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!

For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,

For giving to simple ones -- prudence, To a youth -- knowledge and discretion.

For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.

Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,

If they say, 'Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,

We swallow them as Sheol -- alive, And whole -- as those going down to the pit,

Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses with spoil,

Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,

Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is -- to all of us.'

And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.

Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.

For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.

'Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?

Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.

At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:

So are the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.

Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,

Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.

And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.

I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,

And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.

Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.

When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.

They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,

And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And is quiet from fear of evil!'

For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.

For a graceful wreath are they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.

Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,

For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,

My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.

(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)